AMC Spirit - VAM Models

VAM Models

Mexican government-owned automaker Vehiculos Automotores Mexicanos (VAM) assembled sedan and liftback Spirits under license with AMC from 1980 through 1983. To meet government regulations, VAM vehicles had to have at least 60% locally sourced parts. Mexican built "AMC's" came with different exterior and interior trim, as well as model names than their counterparts in the United States and Canada. For example, the Spirit 2-door sedan was called "Gremlin". The Spirit liftback models were called "Rallys". This meant that the two Spirit body styles for Mexico were two separate lines under VAM instead of AMC's two-version line, also the sedan was almost entire restricted to the economy segment while the liftback was almost exclusively focused towards performance. The VAM-based Spirit sedan was available in the same model configuration as the AMC Gremlin in the first half of 70s, including the presence of the equivalent sporty model still called Gremlin X. The Rally-based Spirit liftbacks were available in two sports versions, the standard Rally AMX and the high performance Rally GT in their first year. Both versions came standard with a TREMEC 176-F four-speed manual transmission with Hurst linkage, power brakes, power steering, front and rear sway bars, stiff shock absorbers, seven-bladed cooling fan, sports steering wheel, tachometer, center console with armrest and Rallye gauges, reclining bucket seats with adjustable headrests, split-back rear seat, three-point retractable seatbelts, woodgrain panels on dashboard, dual remote-controlled mirrors and VAM-desgined aluminum grille. The differences between both versions rely on the use of the standard 132 net HP 282 six cylinder in the Rally AMX while the Rally GT got the high-performance 172 net HP 282. The Rally AMX is practically the "base model" of the line and the Rally GT is a fairly serious perfomance car closer to the European tradition in the form of its analog tachometer (instead of the AMX's digital tach), the impossibility of ordering the car with air aconditioning or automatic transmission among other characteristics. Other than the engine, the only additional mechanical difference between both is a 3.07:1 rear gear ratio on the AMX and a 3.31:1 ratio on the GT.

A unique to Mexico was the vehicle called the VAM Lerma, which was based on the Concord's 4-door chassis with the Spirit's front and rear liftback body parts and unique rear quarter panels. All VAM engines were of AMC design, but built in at the Lerma, Estado de México engine assembly plant. They featured modifications to deal with low octane fuel and high altitudes. These included different head designs and exhaust porting. An indigenous VAM engine was the 282 cu in (4.6 L) version of the AMC Straight-6 engine with an enlarged bore and wider dished pistons (3.909 in (99 mm) bore, 3.894 in (99 mm) stroke) as well as a unique head and exhaust porting design. The V8 engine was not available in Mexico.